Delhi’s longest serving chief minister and senior Congress leader, 81-year-old Sheila Dikshit died on Saturday (Jul 19) at a hospital in Delhi after suffering from a cardiac arrest, reports News18.
The three-time CM saw her galvanize the Congress party, as she ruled uncontested from 1998-2013. Her tenure saw a period of dominance in the capital by the Congress party, until her loss to currently Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in 2013.
According to a report in Livemint, Dikshit had been undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Fortis Escorts hospital for the past few years. She had undergone an angioplasty in November 2012 and was also treated for an infection some time ago.
The official handle of the Congress party has condoled the death of the senior Congress leader.
“We regret to hear of the passing of Smt Sheila Dikshit. Lifelong congresswoman and as three time CM of Delhi she transformed the face of Delhi. Our condolences to her family and friends. Hope they find strength in this time of grief,” the Congress said on Twitter.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to condole her death. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also one of those who expressed sorrow at her death.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, whom she was considered particularly close to, took to Twitter to state that he was devastated to hear the news of her passing.
"I’m devastated to hear about the passing away of Shiela Dikshit Ji, a beloved daughter of the Congress Party, with whom I shared a close personal bond.
My condolences to her family & the citizens of Delhi, whom she served selflessly as a 3 term CM, in this time of great grief."
Sheila Dikshit has been credited with changing the face of the capital of India. After her term as CM concluded, Sheila Dikshit was appointed as the Kerala Governor in March 2014, just before the Model Code of Conduct was put in place for the 16th Lok Sabha elections. Five months later, in August 2014, she resigned from her post to go back to her role in the Delhi Congress.
She was born Sheila Kapoor in March 1938, in Kapurthala, Punjab. She was an Arts graduate from Miranda House at the University of Delhi.
